YaST/Research/YaST Style Guide

From openSUSE

YaST Style Guide

Description

We, in fact, have some style guide(s) but they are still not finished yet. Having such a document is mandatory for any software development where UI made by several developers at once is expected.

Martin Schmidkunz has create some drafts:

• http://en.opensuse.org/Image:Ysg2.pdf
• http://en.opensuse.org/Image:YSG_Draft.pdf

Anyway, PDF format is not what developers expect to read through especially if they find an obvious mistake and would like to fix it immediately. Such a case discourages them from using such style guide. We have already started writing a YaST Style Guide in wiki but without finishing it. The result should be a YaST Style Guide in wiki based on the rules written in that PDF.

Relevance to YaST/openSUSE

Every software project with UI should have its style guide. It helps to unify developers' opinions on UI.

Goal

YaST Style Guide in openSUSE WIKI.

Related technologies

WIKI, YaST knowledge, English, Sense of humor

Typical use case

End user will see the difference in unified YaST dialogs.

Required knowledge and skill level

• Wiki: basic to medium
• YaST: the best you can have
• English: ... it's a wiki :)
• Sense of humor: Well, developers are required to have at least the basic level!

Dev. environment/equipment

As many YaST modules as possible. Paper and pencil to draw charts and flowers.

At least one real YaST developer is needed to cooperate on that project to make sure it really describes the best practices how to develop YaST UI.

Participants

• Katarina Machalkova
• Evamaria Fuchs
• Martin Schmidkunz
• Lukas Ocilka

Current Status

The project is finished. The final version of the style guide can be found here

Division of work and schedule

At first, learn all the current rules, identify the wrong ones, then sum it up and rework the current style guide in wiki. Make it short but not too short. Make it easy to read, easy to understand, easy to remember.

References

• YaST Style Guide
• FATE #303041: YaST style guide
• Final version of YaST style guide